1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to roof gutters. More particularly, it relates to a roof gutter fastener and method for the application thereof, that utilizes a threaded shank portion for securing the gutter to the facia panel.
2A. Background Information
In the past, using rolled or lathed threads on such threaded prior art fasteners required pilot holes before penetrating into thin pieces of facie wood.
The developmental procedure leading to the invention of the gutter bolt is as follows. First seven inch metal threaded self tapped coated steel Phillips head {fraction (3/16)}xe2x80x3 thick insulation screws were tested. Each was fastened with a #3 Phillips bit/7xe2x80x3 lag bolt hex head.
The results are as follows. Extensive stripping of the bolt head due to the torque applied to the long steel bolt to screw it into the wood that was meant for metal installation. Even cutting a wider and deeper slotted head into steel screws did not solve the problem. Changing it into a universal Phillips or slotted head also failed to solve the problem. The force required for holding a drill that need to be applied caused a splitting of facia boards. The drill tip would pop out and then accidentally mark or puncture the gutter. Pilot holes thusly had to be drilled. The excessive damage and the amount of time required for this procedure did not make those screws commercially applicable in business. A head with more points of controlled contact is provided.
Another attempt was made to use lag bolts. Lag bolts require a pilot hole when fastening into new wood, so that there is no splitting of the facia board. Once again this is a very time consuming procedure. Also the bolt head protruded out from the front of the gutter. Quite often, the lag bolt head projected very far out in front of the gutter. The lag bolts therefore have an unsightly appearance and bring unwanted attention to the fastener for the gutter. Cutting back the heads of the lag bolt is not acceptable, even when the heads are painted to match the color of the gutter. When fastening due to torque of the tool, the fastener paint is removed and chipped away. Touch up painting is required to prevent rusting which starts occurring immediately.
In the past, the spinning motion of the fastener when making contact with the front of the gutter strips the paint off the gutter where the fastener head presses against gutter leaving raw metal exposed to the weather. Rusting occurs along with staining and marking of the gutter. These results are not acceptable due to complaints from homeowners.
Scratching of the gutter occurs when the socket wrench makes the final turns to cause the gutter to be attached to the facia. This problem can be solved by the invention if a washer is built into the head of the gutter bolt. This built-in washer has a large enough diameter to be able to shield the face of gutter from contact with the socket wrench.
After all the testing of the head and the threads was completed to achieve the proper specific requirements for performance and appearance, it was decided to use the same material as that used to manufacture most gutters, namely aluminum. The advantages are that after an installation there will be no electrolysis, rusting or corrosion by bringing into contact different types of metals. This is especially when metals are exposed to many types of weather conditions, or chemical exposure, and humidity variations, that encourage oxidation of the metals to occur.
Beginning with aluminum nails, it was decided to make them into gutter bolts. First there was the head portion and then cutting threading for making a gutter bolt. If the material was too soft, it would snap just going through xc2xexe2x80x3 pine board. But with the use of a pilot hole, it would penetrate wood and hold formally. But the metal hardness had to be increased to go through Douglas Fir wood without using a pilot hole. Then a heat treating process was developed to harden the aluminum alloy. Further testing of the materials showed that some would drill right through xc2xexe2x80x3 pine board but snapping would occur or heads would strip off on most of the other materials which were used and with the same results. Rods or coil aluminum was used plus heat treating application followed by specific machining techniques. Eventually, five different types of aluminum were tested with eight heat treatment processes involved with the different aluminum material before using current material. Hundreds of tests were made by drilling seven inch bolts into three-quarter inch pine boards. Then there was test drilling into Douglas Fir for the occasional situation wherein the gutter bolt hits the rafter tails that holds up the facia board.
Finally an aluminum bolt material was found that had the strength necessary to achieve the desired results.
It was impossible to locate any type of bolt system comparable to gutter bolts from any hardware stores, Fastening Co., Home Depot and even the Thomas Register, exhausting all possibilities for finding a source of supply for the gutter bolts and materials that was to be tested and then eventually finally perfected. Many types of material such as steel, aluminum, or copper, etc., from which gutters are made, or any other product in existence or similar metal used for any other fastener was unsuccessful. Attempts were made to find a manufacturer to make gutter bolts through the Yellow Pages, The Business to Business Telephone Book, and the Thomas Register, and by contacting hundreds of manufacturers. The most often heard response was xe2x80x9cWhat is a gutter bolt?xe2x80x9d After providing the manufacturer with a copy of the specifications, the response after reviewing the specification was that machining and tooling to produce this type of bolt due to length, and for the thread pitch would take a great deal of labor. New techniques and new technologies would be needed to produce this combination of length and the unique threading for the bolt. The threading was very unique and was not similar to the threads of thousands of observed wood screws. A search of this prior art found nothing comparable to the pitch, depth, and length of the threading of the inventive gutter bolt.
2B. The Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,905 to Giordano, discloses gutter installation tools. The invention consists of a spacer tool having a U-shaped channel and being positioned between the front and rear panels of the gutter. When the tool is in place, a conventional spike can be driven through the front gutter panel into the U-shaped channel and the rear gutter panel to fasten the gutter to the structure. Once the spike has been driven in, the tool can be removed and used again. In addition, the prior art discloses a novel spike design that adds a notch on the shaft near the head for engaging the front portion of the gutter. The notch enables a more secure coupling between the spike and the gutter.
These prior art gutter fasteners are nails that ultimately end up having to be re-secured over time. As such, the gutter partially detaches from the facia panel and thereby prevents the efficient operation of the gutters.
In addition, by providing a more secure connection between the gutter and the facia panel, the safety of the working conditions for workers in the roofing, siding and gutter fields is significantly increased. On many occasions, these workers find themselves leaning on the gutters, which causes stress on the gutter fasteners and usually requires the gutter to be re-secured. A more secure connection will alleviate this stress. Furthermore, it often happens that one of these workers loses their balance while working and grabs onto the gutter for support. With the old gutter fasteners, the weight of an adult would literally rip the gutter from the facia panel causing the worker to fall to the ground. Depending on the height of the gutter, this can be a potentially fatal circumstance. A more secure connection between the gutter and facia panel would be desirable to eliminate this danger by preventing the gutter from detaching when subject to the weight of an adult. Also, denting of gutter from hammering or re-hammering of gutter nails is prevented.
Other prior art attempts to fasten gutters are described in the Marulic U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,920, the Hardin U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,261, and the British Patent No. 2707. However, these prior art fasteners have all of the disadvantages described above.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gutter fastener that overcomes the shortfalls of the prior art by enabling a more secure connection between the gutter and the facia panel. This more secure connection eliminates the need for subsequent re-securing of the gutter with the facia panel. This more secure connection also eliminates the need for using a pilot hole in the facia board.
According to the invention, a wood screw or gutter fastener is provided having a head portion for receiving a tool, a first shank portion integrally formed with head portion, and second shank portion integrally formed with the first shank portion.
The first and second shank portions each a have a specific length, and share a common longitudinal axis. The length of the first shank portion is such that the gutter fastener can pass through the front of a gutter and extend across the water collecting opening in the gutter. The second shank portion has a length substantially equal to one-half the length of the first shank portion. The second shank portion is threaded in a screw-like manner, and has a pointed end for facilitating the engagement of the gutter fastener with the gutter and facia panel.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a wood screw-or gutter fastener that utilizes a threaded end to secure the gutter to the facia panel.
It is another object of the invention to provide a gutter fastener that does not require additional time to install and does not require the use of a pilot hole.
A further object of the invention is to provide a wood screw or gutter fastener that eliminates the need for re-securing the gutter to the facia panel after a period of time.
It is another object of the invention to provide a wood screw or gutter fastener that operates more efficiently and reliably that the prior art gutter fasteners.
The present invention solves this prior art problem. The solution for using these bolts without pilot holes resides in cutting the threads to such a degree of pitch, curvature, height, depth, sharpness, so that the threading cuts like a drill bit and the threading holds like a wood screw. After 30 different tests, it was determined to cut eleven threads to the inch at a thread depth of one-third the gutter bolt diameter from top to bottom of thread. A steep pitch in the front of the thread is for cutting and lesser curved or shallow pitch behind the thread enables the thread to cut like a drill due to the steepest pitch and hold like a wood screw due to the shallow portion of the thread.
Threads extended from the smooth portion length and threading includes 2.5 inch cut into the seven inch length bolt. This was researched for use with fasteners of 3 different size gutters (4xe2x80x3, 5xe2x80x3, 6xe2x80x3) and gives the most support to the four inch smooth portion meeting the cut portion. This is due to taking away {fraction (1/16)}xe2x80x3 from actual thickness of smooth portion from cutting in threads and for fastening a gutter, example 4xe2x80x3 gutter 2xc2xcxe2x80x3 passes through the xc2xexe2x80x3 standard thickness facia board with xc2xcxe2x80x3 of thread still embedded in back facia. The one-half inch smooth portion is embedded into the facia with the four inch smooth portion supporting the gutter with washer hex head contacting the gutter.
For a 5xe2x80x3 standard residential gutter, 1xc2xcxe2x80x3 threaded portion passes through the xc2xexe2x80x3 facia board; and xc2xexe2x80x3 threads embedded into the facia xc2xdxe2x80x3 threaded portion extended out from the front of the facia combined with the 4xc2xdxe2x80x3 smooth portion as support for the gutter washer hex head.
For a 6xe2x80x3 commercial gutter, xc2xcxe2x80x3 portion passes through the facia xc2xexe2x80x3 embedded into the facia. 1xc2xdxe2x80x3 extends out of the front of the facia with the 4xc2xdxe2x80x3 smooth portion. The weakest point of the gutter bolt is where the threads meet the smooth portion of the gutter bolt length. As discovered with the degree of hardness of aluminum used to get the proper strength needed, it was found that bolts will not snap when in use.
The gutter bolt of the invention is 7 inch in total length and includes a 2.5 inch wood screw threaded end portion on the one-quarter inch diameter thick gutter bolt. The threading is primarily to go through the facia board and the rafter tails if necessary. The gutter bolt is of so great a strength that this fastener can hold the entire weight of gutter system without the use of a bracket system as in the prior art. A sleeve may be added but only to keep the cavity of gutter from being crushed if pressed towards the facia board. This is in case of force applied to front of gutter and is other than what gutter is designed to support.
The smooth unthreaded shank portion of the gutter bolt connects into the threaded part of the gutter bolt so as to provide the maximum strength to support the gutters. This is because all the threading is embedded into the wood so that only the smooth shank can be covered by the sleeve to the depth of the 5xe2x80x3 cavity of the gutter.
There is no need to drive pilot holes into the facia. Due to height, depth and pitch of threaded portion, the angle of threads and sharpness of threading, the gutter bolt can penetrate the pieces of wood close to the edge of the wood without splitting. Prior art rolled or lathed wood threading fasteners are known to split the wood without first having a prior pilot hole being drilled into the wood.
As a preferred embodiment, the hexagonal shaped head, or hex head, provides six points of fastening contact on the sides of the gutter bolt head. Thus, there is substantial support even if a great torque is needed for twisting the gutter bolt fastener into the facia. Also there is no marking on the gutter outside surface by the gutter bolt fastener that occurs in conventional gutter fastener installations.
The preferred embodiment of a hex head washer combination attached to the smooth portion of the shank provides a greater holding force at the front of the gutter. Since the washer has a larger diameter than hex head diameter, the washer also prevents the socket wrench used for turning the hex head from touching the front of the gutter and from leaving a ring mark or scratch on the gutter face when securing the bolt to the gutter.
In a further embodiment, facets are added to the screw portion of the fastener part for wood screw installation to reduce the required torque. Facets are notches cut or rolled in between each thread of the fastener. Facets reduce the torque on the head, rod, threading, tools and reduce the stress on the material being fastened, such as the facia. Facets are shaped multiangle and do not exceed the highest or lowest point of the threading. They are a separate function of the screw portion. Facets are located on the remaining solid portion of the rod and between each of the threads. Facets are recessed at different angle pitches allowing the wood to pass over the highest point of the facet and to reside in the deepest most recessed portion of the notch. This relieves the stress on the wood as the fastener screws into the wood. This gives the wood a chance to expand and contract for maximum stress relief while the fastener of the invention is advancing into the wood. With the turning penetration of the threaded fastener, each individual thread allows this stress relief process to happen.
Specifically, the present invention is thusly directed to a screw-threaded portion of a wood screw or gutter bolt fastener comprising a shaft having threads thereon, and each thread having a front; said thread having a steep pitch in the front of the thread and having a shallow curved portion behind the thread; and facets comprising notches located in the shallow curved portion behind the thread.
The angle of the facet reduces stress in the wood. As the wood slides up to the next facet, it gradually builds up torque until it reaches the highest point of the facet. This equals the amount of pressure of a solid rod fastener without facets until it rolls over into the cavity of the next facet. With many facets placed on each thread having multiple threads per inch, stress relief will occur on each individual thread.
With the facets in place, the screw threaded portion of the fastener holds better within the wood. When unscrewing the threaded portion from the wood, the wood now slides up to the highest point of the facet. The wood has to overcome the maximum height of the facet.
In order to manufacture the facets in the threads according to the invention, the facets are added to the shallow portion of the thread. This requires slowing down the turning RPM of the cutting blade as it contacts the rod. This permits the cutting blade to reside in one area of the circumference of the bolt for a longer time and to make deeper cuts of random or controlled depths and sizes within the facet. Thus there can be a variable number of facets for each individual thread.
The angles of the facets vary in degrees. This allows screwing the threaded portion into the wood so as to turn the fibers with the threads. Hence the fibers of wood will conform to the low-high angles of the facets.
Facets provide a gradually sloped portion of the thread when turning the fastener clockwise into the wood. This allows fibers of the wood to travel up the least slope part of the facet to the normal pressure depth of the thread. Fibers of wood then drop off the steep end of the facet allowing expansion of the fibers of wood down into the lowest portion of the facet. This reduces the pressure and the force that are applied to the wood fibers by the solid portion in between the threads.
By having multiple facets per thread, the facets permit the wood fibers to have a constant pressure relief at all times per thread, since in one embodiment there are many facets randomly placed at different depths per thread. Wood fibers are not evenly placed on any two facets at one time allowing a multiple action for pressure release all the time. Hence, there are expansion, and contraction, of wood fibers around the threaded portion of the fastener as it penetrates into the wood. There are from 5 to 15 facets, or notches, per thread, preferably from 8 to 10 facets per thread.
With facets being notched into the shallow curved portion behind the thread, this also gives the threaded portion of the fastener a superior holding power in the wood in two ways. First, with the facets cut in between the threads, it allows wood fibers to expand into the facet cavities. Wood fibers are embedded into the facets within the threaded portion of the rod allowing the wood fibers to expand and fill in the space between the threads. Secondly, because facets are angled and sloped with a sharp drop off, when removing the fastener, the sharp drop of the facet now becomes a barrier of resistance against removal. Due to the wood fibers expanding into the facet and taking the shape of the facet, the steep angle resists the removal of the fastener due to a gripping action of the wood fibers. On the other hand, the gentle sloped area of the facet causes a much lower level of resistance by the wood fibers during insertion and advancement of the fastener.
By adding facets to the threading of wood fasteners, according to the invention, there are unique and beneficial advantages as follows. It takes less torque to install, with there being better holding of the fastener once installed into wood and with less chance of the fastener loosening. There is less chance of stripping the head off from the fastener. There is less chance of snapping the fastener. There is less wear on the tools used: slotted tip (saves on snapping), Phillips tip (saves on snapping), electric drill (less wear on the motor) and nut setter or socket (less stripping). Energy saving is due to less electricity used when installing. There is increased safety due to less force and torque used to install the fastener. There is a choice of different metals being useful, other than steel, for example aluminum, copper or whatever metal can be used depending on the weather environment or the metal specifications required. There is a better holding power on the fastener within the wood.
Utilizing a small machine shop, a cold header was built and mill cutter production was begun. First production was at a very slow pace. Improvements were made to increase production.
Three types of aluminum gutters were tested, namely narrow (0.19 to 0.20 inch), medium (0.25 to 0.27 inch), and heavy (0.30 to 0.32 inch) in diameters. Damage to a gutter has been known to occur due to the weight of the snow, the ice or the tree debris weight load. The back portion of the gutter would not remain fastened to the facia board. Trying to repair the gutter lip and the prior art hanger clip due to metal fatigue damage has made the most worn point on the hidden hanger even more worn out. This is especially true where a tremendous amount of weight and loading does occur. If the required repairs to the damaged area are neglected, the situation worsens over time. The problem of gutter loosening is well known and has existed since the beginning of the use of gutters. The present invention is a solution to this problem due to the uniqueness of gutter bolts. For example, they fasten three types of gutters with one size of fastener having adequate holding power, and not having to predrill pilot holes for the fastener gutter bolt of the invention. Refastening an existing gutter is possible without making new holes in the front and the back of the gutter or facia board. Time and money are saved by not having to refasten gutters once this gutter has been fastened by the gutter bolt of the invention. Also the very important matter of safety is emphasized by using the gutter bolt of the invention which achieves a very high degree of safety.
The gutter bolts of the invention have several important advantages. The gutter bolts have achieved significantly improved sales in spite of the cost of producing the bolt. Commercial success has been achieved with very little advertising and is the result of demonstrations of the product by the inventor, installers, homeowners, etc.
Gutter bolts can be up to five times more expensive than a prior art gutter spike, and are 1.5 times more expensive than prior art bracket systems. The savings in using gutter bolts of the invention is due to over the years not having to pay another person to renail the gutter back into position. Also there is avoiding the risk of the repair person falling to the ground in an attempt to nail back the loosened gutters. Also when nails do not grip in the same hole that was made with the original installation, the repair person would move that nail enter to the left or to the right of the existing hole for refastening of the loosened gutter. This causes additional holes in the back of gutter and in the facia board which in turn will permit water seepage to cause damage to the facia board. Also when replacing gutters in the past, it was necessary to replace facia board due to this excessive number of holes, and due to possible splitting of the wood, and water damage.
The gutter bolts of the invention can solve these problems, due to the unique operational quality of the invention not only for new installations but also for gutter spike replacement as well. It is just necessary to remove the old original gutter spike and to install a new gutter bolt through the front opening and the back opening that had been previously made by the original gutter spike and then to screw the gutter bolt snugly into the facia. If the hole in the facia board is reamed out due to the gutter spike and if the threading does not grab into the wood, one could add a one inch plastic anchor into the reamed out hole. Then install the gutter bolt. For a secure fastening installation to hold that gutter, it is no longer necessary to use the leading prior art bracket system known as the hidden hanger. This prior art bracket system screws through the back of the gutter and only clips onto the front return lip of the gutter.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing which discloses several embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the drawing is designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.